Bill Text: MI HB4667 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Education; preschools; eligibility for the great start readiness program; revise to allow participation of children 3 years of age who meet the program's income eligibility guidelines. Amends sec. 32d of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1632d).
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-05-24 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 05/28/2019 [HB4667 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HB4667-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL No. 4667
May 24, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Pagan, Wittenberg, Camilleri, Manoogian, Stone, Sowerby, Kennedy, Koleszar, Love, Brixie, Brenda Carter, Hope, Gay-Dagnogo, Hoadley and Sabo and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled
"The state school aid act of 1979,"
by amending section 32d (MCL 388.1632d), as amended by 2018 PA 265.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 32d. (1) From the funds appropriated in section 11, there
is allocated to eligible intermediate districts and consortia of
intermediate districts for great start readiness programs an amount
not to exceed $243,600,000.00 for 2018-2019. Funds allocated under
this section for great start readiness programs shall be used to
provide part-day, school-day, or GSRP/Head Start blended
comprehensive free compensatory classroom programs designed to
improve the readiness and subsequent achievement of educationally
disadvantaged children who meet the participant eligibility and
prioritization guidelines as defined by the department. For a child
to be eligible to participate in a program under this section, the
child shall be at least 4, but less than 5, years of age as of
September 1 of the school year in which the program is offered and
shall meet those eligibility and prioritization guidelines. A child
who is not 4 years of age as of September 1, but who will be 4
years of age not later than December 1, is eligible to participate
if the child's parent or legal guardian seeks a waiver from the
September 1 eligibility date by submitting a request for enrollment
in a program to the responsible intermediate district, if the
program has capacity on or after September 1 of the school year,
and if the child meets eligibility and prioritization guidelines.
Beginning in 2019-2020, for a child to be eligible to participate
in a program under this section, the child must be at least 3, but
less than 5, years of age as of September 1 of the school year in
which the program is offered and shall meet the eligibility and
prioritization guidelines described in this subsection.
(2) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), an amount
not to exceed $242,600,000.00 is allocated to intermediate
districts or consortia of intermediate districts based on the
formula in section 39. An intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts receiving funding under this section shall
act as the fiduciary for the great start readiness programs. In
order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under this
subsection from an intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts, a district, a consortium of districts, or a
public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity or agency
shall comply with this section and section 39.
(3) In addition to the allocation under subsection (1), from
the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is
allocated an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 for 2018-2019 for a
competitive grant to continue a longitudinal evaluation of children
who have participated in great start readiness programs.
(4) To be eligible for funding under this section, a program
shall prepare children for success in school through comprehensive
part-day, school-day, or GSRP/Head Start blended programs that
contain all of the following program components, as determined by
the department:
(a) Participation in a collaborative recruitment and
enrollment process to assure that each child is enrolled in the
program most appropriate to his or her needs and to maximize the
use of federal, state, and local funds.
(b) An age-appropriate educational curriculum that is in
compliance with the early childhood standards of quality for
prekindergarten children adopted by the state board, including, at
least, the Connect4Learning curriculum.
(c) Nutritional services for all program participants
supported by federal, state, and local resources as applicable.
(d) Physical and dental health and developmental screening
services for all program participants.
(e) Referral services for families of program participants to
community social service agencies, including mental health
services, as appropriate.
(f) Active and continuous involvement of the parents or
guardians of the program participants.
(g) A plan to conduct and report annual great start readiness
program evaluations and continuous improvement plans using criteria
approved by the department.
(h) Participation in a school readiness advisory committee
convened as a workgroup of the great start collaborative that
provides for the involvement of classroom teachers, parents or
guardians of program participants, and community, volunteer, and
social service agencies and organizations, as appropriate. The
advisory committee annually shall review and make recommendations
regarding the program components listed in this subsection. The
advisory committee also shall make recommendations to the great
start collaborative regarding other community services designed to
improve all children's school readiness.
(i) The ongoing articulation of the kindergarten and first
grade programs offered by the program provider.
(j) Participation in this state's great start to quality
process with a rating of at least 3 stars.
(5) An application for funding under this section shall
provide for the following, in a form and manner determined by the
department:
(a) Ensure compliance with all program components described in
subsection (4).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, ensure
that at least 90% of the children participating in an eligible
great start readiness program for whom the intermediate district is
receiving funds under this section are children who live with
families with a household income that is equal to or less than 250%
of the federal poverty level. If the intermediate district
determines that all eligible children are being served and that
there are no children on the waiting list who live with families
with a household income that is equal to or less than 250% of the
federal poverty level, the intermediate district may then enroll
children who live with families with a household income that is
equal to or less than 300% of the federal poverty level. The
enrollment process shall consider income and risk factors, such
that children determined with higher need are enrolled before
children with lesser need. For purposes of this subdivision, all
age-eligible children served in foster care or who are experiencing
homelessness or who have individualized education plans
recommending placement in an inclusive preschool setting shall be
considered to live with families with household income equal to or
less than 250% of the federal poverty level regardless of actual
family income and shall be prioritized for enrollment within the
lowest quintile.
(c) Ensure that the applicant only uses qualified personnel
for this program, as follows:
(i) Teachers possessing proper training. A lead teacher must
have a valid teaching certificate with an early childhood (ZA or
ZS) endorsement or a bachelor's or higher degree in child
development or early childhood education with specialization in
preschool teaching. However, if an applicant demonstrates to the
department that it is unable to fully comply with this subparagraph
after making reasonable efforts to comply, teachers who have
significant but incomplete training in early childhood education or
child development may be used if the applicant provides to the
department, and the department approves, a plan for each teacher to
come into compliance with the standards in this subparagraph. A
teacher's compliance plan must be completed within 2 years of the
date of employment. Progress toward completion of the compliance
plan shall consist of at least 2 courses per calendar year.
(ii) Paraprofessionals possessing proper training in early
childhood education, including an associate's degree in early
childhood education or child development or the equivalent, or a
child development associate (CDA) credential. However, if an
applicant demonstrates to the department that it is unable to fully
comply with this subparagraph after making reasonable efforts to
comply, the applicant may use paraprofessionals who have completed
at least 1 course that earns college credit in early childhood
education or child development if the applicant provides to the
department, and the department approves, a plan for each
paraprofessional to come into compliance with the standards in this
subparagraph. A paraprofessional's compliance plan must be
completed within 2 years of the date of employment. Progress toward
completion of the compliance plan shall consist of at least 2
courses or 60 clock hours of training per calendar year.
(d) Include a program budget that contains only those costs
that are not reimbursed or reimbursable by federal funding, that
are clearly and directly attributable to the great start readiness
program, and that would not be incurred if the program were not
being offered. Eligible costs include transportation costs. The
program budget shall indicate the extent to which these funds will
supplement other federal, state, local, or private funds. Funds
received under this section shall not be used to supplant any
federal funds received by the applicant to serve children eligible
for a federally funded preschool program that has the capacity to
serve those children.
(6) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a school-day
program funded under this section, each child enrolled in the
school-day program shall be counted as described in section 39 for
purposes of determining the amount of the grant award.
(7) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a GSRP/Head
Start blended program, the grant recipient shall ensure that all
Head Start and GSRP policies and regulations are applied to the
blended slots, with adherence to the highest standard from either
program, to the extent allowable under federal law.
(8) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall designate an
early childhood coordinator, and may provide services directly or
may contract with 1 or more districts or public or private for-
profit or nonprofit providers that meet all requirements of
subsections (4) and (5).
(9) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts may retain for administrative services provided by the
intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts an
amount not to exceed 4% of the grant amount. Expenses incurred by
subrecipients engaged by the intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts for directly running portions of the program
shall be considered program costs or a contracted program fee for
service.
(10) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts may expend not more than 2% of the total grant amount for
outreach, recruiting, and public awareness of the program.
(11) Each grant recipient shall enroll children identified
under subsection (5)(b) according to how far the child's household
income is below 250% of the federal poverty level by ranking each
applicant child's household income from lowest to highest and
dividing the applicant children into quintiles based on how far the
child's household income is below 250% of the federal poverty
level, and then enrolling children in the quintile with the lowest
household income before enrolling children in the quintile with the
next lowest household income until slots are completely filled. If
the grant recipient determines that all eligible children are being
served and that there are no children on the waiting list who live
with families with a household income that is equal to or less than
250% of the federal poverty level, the grant recipient may then
enroll children who live with families with a household income that
is equal to or less than 300% of the federal poverty level. The
enrollment process shall consider income and risk factors, such
that children determined with higher need are enrolled before
children with lesser need. For purposes of this subdivision, all
age-eligible children served in foster care or who are experiencing
homelessness or who have individualized education plans
recommending placement in an inclusive preschool setting shall be
considered to live with families with household income equal to or
less than 250% of the federal poverty level regardless of actual
family income and shall be prioritized for enrollment within the
lowest quintile.
(12) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall allow parents
of eligible children who are residents of the intermediate district
or within the consortium to choose a program operated by or
contracted with another intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts and shall enter into a written agreement
regarding payment, in a manner prescribed by the department.
(13) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall conduct a
local process to contract with interested and eligible public and
private for-profit and nonprofit community-based providers that
meet all requirements of subsection (4) for at least 30% of its
total allocation. For the purposes of this 30% allocation, an
intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts may
count children served by a Head Start grantee or delegate in a
blended Head Start and great start readiness school-day program.
Children served in a program funded only through Head Start shall
not be counted toward this 30% allocation. The intermediate
district or consortium shall report to the department, in a manner
prescribed by the department, a detailed list of community-based
providers by provider type, including private for-profit, private
nonprofit, community college or university, Head Start grantee or
delegate, and district or intermediate district, and the number and
proportion of its total allocation allocated to each provider as
subrecipient. If the intermediate district or consortium is not
able to contract for at least 30% of its total allocation, the
grant recipient shall notify the department and, if the department
verifies that the intermediate district or consortium attempted to
contract for at least 30% of its total allocation and was not able
to do so, then the intermediate district or consortium may retain
and use all of its allocation as provided under this section. To be
able to use this exemption, the intermediate district or consortium
shall demonstrate to the department that the intermediate district
or consortium increased the percentage of its total allocation for
which it contracts with a community-based provider and the
intermediate district or consortium shall submit evidence
satisfactory to the department, and the department must be able to
verify this evidence, demonstrating that the intermediate district
or consortium took measures to contract for at least 30% of its
total allocation as required under this subsection, including, but
not limited to, at least all of the following measures:
(a) The intermediate district or consortium notified each
nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service
area of the intermediate district or consortium regarding the
center's eligibility to participate, in a manner prescribed by the
department.
(b) The intermediate district or consortium provided to each
nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service
area of the intermediate district or consortium information
regarding great start readiness program requirements and a
description of the application and selection process for community-
based providers.
(c) The intermediate district or consortium provided to the
public and to participating families a list of community-based
great start readiness program subrecipients with a great start to
quality rating of at least 3 stars.
(14) If an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section fails to submit
satisfactory evidence to demonstrate its effort to contract for at
least 30% of its total allocation, as required under subsection
(13), the department shall reduce the allocation to the
intermediate district or consortium by a percentage equal to the
difference between the percentage of an intermediate district's or
consortium's total allocation awarded to community-based providers
and 30% of its total allocation.
(15) In order to assist intermediate districts and consortia
in complying with the requirement to contract with community-based
providers for at least 30% of their total allocation, the
department shall do all of the following:
(a) Ensure that a great start resource center or the
department provides each intermediate district or consortium
receiving a grant under this section with the contact information
for each licensed child care center located in the service area of
the intermediate district or consortium by March 1 of each year.
(b) Provide, or ensure that an organization with which the
department contracts provides, a community-based provider with a
validated great start to quality rating within 90 days of the
provider's having submitted a request and self-assessment.
(c) Ensure that all intermediate district, district, community
college or university, Head Start grantee or delegate, private for-
profit, and private nonprofit providers are subject to a single
great start to quality rating system. The rating system shall
ensure that regulators process all prospective providers at the
same pace on a first-come, first-served basis and shall not allow 1
type of provider to receive a great start to quality rating ahead
of any other type of provider.
(d) Not later than December 1 of each year, compile the
results of the information reported by each intermediate district
or consortium under subsection (13) and report to the legislature a
list by intermediate district or consortium with the number and
percentage of each intermediate district's or consortium's total
allocation allocated to community-based providers by provider type,
including private for-profit, private nonprofit, community college
or university, Head Start grantee or delegate, and district or
intermediate district.
(16) A recipient of funds under this section shall report to
the center in a form and manner prescribed by the center the number
of children participating in the program who meet the income
eligibility criteria under subsection (5)(b) and the total number
of children participating in the program.
(17) As used in this section:
(a) "GSRP/Head Start blended program" means a part-day program
funded under this section and a Head Start program, which are
combined for a school-day program.
(b) "Part-day program" means a program that operates at least
4 days per week, 30 weeks per year, for at least 3 hours of
teacher-child contact time per day but for fewer hours of teacher-
child contact time per day than a school-day program.
(c) "School-day program" means a program that operates for at
least the same length of day as a district's first grade program
for a minimum of 4 days per week, 30 weeks per year. A classroom
that offers a school-day program must enroll all children for the
school day to be considered a school-day program.
(18) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving funds under this section shall establish and
charge tuition according to a sliding scale of tuition rates based
upon household income for children participating in an eligible
great start readiness program who live with families with a
household income that is more than 250% of the federal poverty
level to be used by all of its providers, as approved by the
department.
(19) From the amount appropriated in subsection (1), there is
allocated an amount not to exceed $10,000,000.00 for reimbursement
of transportation costs for children attending great start
readiness programs funded under this section. To receive
reimbursement under this subsection, not later than November 1,
2018, a program funded under this section that provides
transportation shall submit to the intermediate district that is
the fiscal agent for the program a projected transportation budget.
The amount of the reimbursement for transportation under this
subsection shall be no more than the projected transportation
budget or $300.00 multiplied by the number of children funded for
the program under this section. If the amount allocated under this
subsection is insufficient to fully reimburse the transportation
costs for all programs that provide transportation and submit the
required information, the reimbursement shall be prorated in an
equal amount per child funded. Payments shall be made to the
intermediate district that is the fiscal agent for each program,
and the intermediate district shall then reimburse the program
provider for transportation costs as prescribed under this
subsection.
(20) Subject to, and from the funds allocated under,
subsection (19), the department shall reimburse a program for
transportation costs related to parent- or guardian-accompanied
transportation provided by transportation service companies, buses,
or other public transportation services. To be eligible for
reimbursement under this subsection, a program must be a community-
based provider and must submit to the department all of the
following:
(a) The names of families provided with transportation support
along with a documented reason for the need for transportation
support and the type of transportation provided.
(b) Financial documentation of actual transportation costs
incurred by the program, including, but not limited to, receipts
and mileage reports, as determined by the department.
(c) Any other documentation or information determined
necessary by the department.
(21) The department shall implement a process to review and
approve age-appropriate comprehensive classroom level quality
assessments for GSRP grantees that support the early childhood
standards of quality for prekindergarten children adopted by the
state board. The department shall make available to intermediate
districts at least 2 classroom level quality assessments that were
approved in 2018.
(22) An intermediate district that is a GSRP grantee may
approve the use of a supplemental curriculum that aligns with and
enhances the age-appropriate educational curriculum in the
classroom. If the department objects to the use of a supplemental
curriculum approved by an intermediate district, the superintendent
of public instruction shall establish a review committee
independent of the department. The review committee shall meet
within 60 days of the department registering its objection in
writing and provide a final determination on the validity of the
objection within 60 days of the review committee's first meeting.
(23) The department shall implement a process to evaluate and
approve age-appropriate educational curricula that are in
compliance with the early childhood standards of quality for
prekindergarten children adopted by the state board.
(24) From the funds allocated under subsection (1), there is
allocated an amount not to exceed $1,000,000.00 for payments to
intermediate districts or consortia of intermediate districts for
professional development for educators in programs implementing new
curricula in 2019-2020.
(25) A great start readiness program or a GSRP/Head Start
blended program funded under this section shall be permitted to
utilize AmeriCorps Pre-K Reading Corps members in classrooms
implementing research-based early literacy intervention strategies.
